Snacking is something I occasionally do in the evening when I am bored, watching television or am hungry at work.  Going gluten free kinda put a crimp in some of my favorite chomp foods.  Toast with jam has sort of slipped by the wayside.  Ditto for pasta with garlic salt, butter, black pepper, Parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce stirred into it.  Well, I have made that one once.  Quite tasty, even made gluten free if you buy decent pasta and don’t overcook it.  Trouble is GF pasta is so pricey I have to make it a rare treat.  If you are new to celiac you might want some suggestions for safe snacking.  Read on!

There are a few low calorie gluten free snacks I particularly like.  Giant Grocery Store has small and large bags of their own brand of Mini Rice Snacks, I like the cheddar flavor.  They are cheesy, crunchy and cheap.  Seven of them are 70 calories.  I find it hard to stop at 7 chips most times.  Hence the small bag so I tend to stop faster than that big one that is three times bigger. Quaker makes a few flavors of the mini rice chips, slightly pricier.  There are big rice cakes too which are good with jam or peanut butter spread on them.

GF crackers can be less than yummy, cardboard like and expensive but there is one new one out there I immediately fell in love with: Nabisco’s Rice Thins.  My favorite, hands down, is the Brown Rice, Sea Salt and Pepper cracker which is a little spicy and a lot tasty, crisp and great with cheese or a dip.

When I am thirsty I drink things like green tea iced with chia seeds stirred in for extra fiber and fun!  They slide down your throat and make boring green tea a silly fun time.

Another favorite drink is the chocolate egg cream, see my blog post on this yummy drink which has no eggs and usually no cream.  Light, refreshing and an old school treat which originated in Brooklyn, NY.

Fruit is an excellent snack choice.  I haven’t met one yet I didn’t like.  Buy things in season, eat them at peak ripeness and try to vary your fruits.  Don’t be like a good friend of mine who only seems to eat bananas and an occasional apple.  He is missing out on all the trace nutrients, vitamins and fiber fount in a host of fresh fruits.  It is fall so apples and pears are at the top of my list.  I am still eating honeydew melons and watermelons from my gardens.  Melons aren’t that full of nutrition but they are certainly good for you.  Berries of all kinds rank high.  I have ripe raspberries which are very flavorful and very good for you.  Get some fruit at the farmer’s market, grocery store or orchard stand and eat at least three fruits a day.  Most have lots of beneficial stuff in them, they are low calorie and they often have crunch which can be satisfying when you are in that munchy mood.

Another treat is medjool dates, best purchased in the fall.  They are big, soft, sweet, and best of all, their flavor is amazing.  Far tastier than any other variety of date, they are the queen of dates, even if you don’t like dates you might fall in love with the medjool.  I like the really big ones – they come in several sizes. These dates also contain significant amounts of fiber, potassium, copper and several other nutrients.  Good for you and they are addictive.

Popcorn is low calorie especially if you don’t use a microwave bag variety full of fat and salt. I love to whip up a small bowl of it and enjoy it lightly salted while I read a book.

I happen to love muffins and there are many great GF muffin recipes out there. I just baked some carrot muffins this weekend, with walnuts and golden raisin in them.  I also make a mean banana nut muffin that is almost cake like. Muffins are filling, yummy and very portable to take to work.  I freeze most of them as they only stay fresh 2-3 days and let the treat thaw in a baggie until I am hungry.  Mine are made with canola oil, one percent milk, lots of carrots and a low amount of sugar so I think the calorie count is not that extreme.

Then there are cookies; I have blogged on cowboy cookies as well as a few other tasty gf choices you can whip up.  The store ones are kinda pricey and not as delish as ones you make yourself but any port in a storm!

I love Stonyfield Smooth and Creamy Organic Yogurt especially the whole milk, plain, sold in a big 32 ounce container.  I put a few big dollops in a small Tupperware with a spoonful of jam and stir it in just as I eat it for a snack or side dish at lunch.

Celery sticks alone or with peanut butter are satisfying. So are florets of cauliflower with some creamy salad dressing.  Red pepper strips are tasty to munch on too.

See, there are many healthy yet gluten free snack choices available and a few decadent ones too.  Just because you are gluten free doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a snack when you get the munchies!